Dünya – Turkey ranks among the top 20 countries for research and development (R&D) spending and second only to China in terms of R&D expenditure growth, according to the country’s top scientific body, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK).

The country achieved an average annual growth rate of 15.7 percent for R&D expenditures between the years 2006 and 2011, according to Huseyin Guler, Head of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Department of TUBITAK. “Turkey’s spending on R&D activities has been steadily increasing for the last 10 years and we have reached the second top spot in terms of the R&D expenditure growth rate.” Guler said, adding that the country’s further development in certain sectors such as automotive, energy and food depended on R&D activities.

“Turkey’s goals for the year 2023 can be reached by investing in landmark projects like the high-tech education initiative Fatih Project, domestically branded automobiles, and the surveillance satellite Gokturk..”, the TUBITAK official noted.

The country provides special investment incentives in the form of tax exemptions and cuts as well as financial support to improve the technological competitiveness and innovation capacity of vital industries.

Turkey spent USD 11,1 billion on R&D in 2011 figures, equal to 0.86 percent of the country’s GDP for the same year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). R&D expenditure in Turkey is expected to account for 3 percent of the country’s GDP by 2023, the centennial of the republic.